Calamity-hit states to get Central assistance

Government today decided to give central assistance to natural calamity-hit states, including Jammu and Kashmir, after examining various proposals of relief based on the impact of disasters.
The High Level Committee (HLC), headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, examined the proposals, based on the visits of the central team to the states affected by severe natural disasters during the last year.
The HLC decided the assistance from National Disaster Relief Fund in respect of Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, an official release said.
However, the amount to be given to each of the state is not immediately known.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and senior officials of the Ministries of Agriculture, Finance and Home were part of the discussions.
Jammu and Kashmir was affected by worst-ever flood in September last year resulting in colossal losses to life, private property and public infrastructure. The damages have adversely impacted the pace of economic activity in the state also leading to erosion of state government revenues.